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Hamster: How To Take Care of Your
Hamster: How To Take Care of Your
Hamster: How To Take Care of Your
DIET
BEHAVIOUR
COMPANY
hamster
hamster
Keeping your
hamster healthy
and happy
Owning and caring for a hamster can be great fun and very
rewarding, but its a big responsibility and a long-term commitment in
terms of care and cost typically, hamsters live for around two years.
Hamsters are often a childs first pet
because they are small animals with a great
deal of character but their needs are quite
complex and they can be easily injured as
a result of rough or careless handling. An
adult should always be responsible for
ensuring hamsters are properly handled
and cared for looking after a hamster is
too much responsibility for a child. If you
own or are responsible for a hamster, even
on a temporary basis, you are required by
law to care for him/her properly.
Hamsters are nocturnal so they spend most
of the day sleeping and become active in the
evening and at night. This means they can
make good pets for people that may be out
during the day and at home during the
evening, but are less suitable for young
children who go to bed early.
from
pain,
Contents
4 Environment / 6 Diet / 8 Behaviour / 10 Company / 12 Health &
welfare
Environment
MAKE SURE YOUR hamster HAS
A SUITABLE PLACE TO LIVE
Home comforts
Your hamsters cage should be safe
from hazards (like sharp metal or
gaps they could get stuck in) and
secure, as hamsters can easily
escape from poorly constructed
cages! Hamsters need a lot of room
especially when they are active at
night so buy as big a cage as
possible, ideally with a deep plastic
base (minimum 3-5cm) and wire top.
A multi-level cage will allow your
hamster to climb and make the most
of the space in his/her cage and you
can place tunnels and toys in it for
your hamster to explore. Wire sides
will allow them to climb around the
bars of the cage a favourite
pastime and great exercise!
Housekeeping
Make sure your hamsters cage is kept clean
with dry litter/bedding and nesting materials,
but try to avoid disturbing your hamsters home
too often as this can be stressful.
Holiday time
www.rspca.org.uk/hamsters/
environment.
Diet
MAKE SURE YOUR HAMSTER
HAS A HEALTHY DIET
To stay fit and healthy, your hamster needs a well-balanced
diet, as well as constant access to clean drinking water.
Water check
Feeding time
Behaviour
MAKE SURE YOUR HAMSTER IS
ABLE TO BEHAVE NORMALLY
Your hamster will rest and sleep during the day, but at night
he/she will be very active so you need to make sure there is
plenty of space to play during the night time.
Its really important to make sure that
hamsters arent disturbed when sleeping
and try to keep them in a room where the
lights are not left on till late in the night.
In the wild hamsters are extremely good
diggers and construct deep, dark,
underground burrows so, if possible, give
PLAY TIME
Make sure that your hamster has lots
of space to exercise and has
appropriate objects to play with such
Company
MAKE SURE YOUR hamster HAS
APPROPRIATE COMPANY
Hamsters are generally solitary animals and can be aggressive
towards other animals sometimes resulting in serious injury or
even death. Syrian and Chinese hamsters in particular are not
naturally sociable and are better kept on their own.
Hands on
Hamsters enjoy interacting with
people who handle them carefully
and are sympathetic to their needs
but they can become frightened and
aggressive if they feel threatened.
10
11
12
Health checklist
l
l
l
Always
contact
your
vet
immediately if you are concerned.
Find out about some of the
most common poisons at:
www.rspca.org.uk/poisoning
13
FIND
OUT MORE
Hamsters are amazing animals with complex
needs that must be met if they are to
www.rspca.org.uk/hamsters
Keeping your
hamster healthy
and happy
14
15
www.rspca.org.uk/rehoming
This booklet
will help you
find out what
hamsters need
to stay healthy
and happy.